


Hermione Greengrass: Pure-Blood Witch

by pheonyxie



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:41:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26823073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pheonyxie/pseuds/pheonyxie
Summary: Everyone knows of Hermione Granger and how she is the Brightest Witch of her age. But does anyone know who she really is? Hermione's life is forever changed when she receives a letter from the Ministry of Magic.Now, in her final year at Hogwarts, she is ready to figure out who she really is. Can she learn about her family and keep her friends, or will they cut ties once the truth is revealed?
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy
Comments: 1
Kudos: 4





	1. ~1~

Dear Miss Hermione Granger,

While I wish this was a casual letter, we at the Ministry have important news to share with you as you are entering your final year at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. It might be difficult to understand at first, but we have already spoken to your professors and they have vowed to help you adjust to this transition if need be.

While digging through Voldemort and his minions' things, we have found documentation that you are not from where you think. Voldemort journaled all of his daily happenings, which turned out to be quite useful now that we are investigating all of his wrong-doings. 

I'm sure you've heard of the Greengrass family. There are one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, a group of wizard families that are driven on blood purity and who are made up entirely of pure-bloods. They used to be followers of Voldemort, and, according to his journals, turned on him. He learned of their betrayal and punished them by taking one of their children and placing them instead in the hands of Muggles. A spell was placed on you so that you would have no memories or no physical ties to your birth family. The Greengrass' were obliviated. After further investigation, we learned that you were that child. I have charmed this letter so that the spell would be reversed once you finish reading it. Please don't be alarmed if your appearance starts to alter to match that of who you truly are.

We know it is a lot to take in, but we hope you understand that now that you, along with your professors and the entire Ministry know who you are, you have the option to go through the process of getting sorted into a different house. While familial ties do not mean you will be placed in a new house, traits that you didn't know you had might come shining through now that the spell is dissolved. Based on this new information, we recommend being sorted once more. Fair, warning, there is a chance you may be placed in Slytherin, as your biological family is known to do significantly well in that house. While there, you might also want to reconnect with the two Greengrass girls currently at Hogwarts or learn more about your family in the Slytherin library. 

I am sorry to spring this information on you right before your final year, but I have no doubt you will do as phenomenal as you have been despite the sudden change. Good luck Hermione, and take pride in your name. The Greengrass family name has proven to open many doors.

Your friend,  
Kingsley Shacklebolt  
Ministry of Magic

Hermione reread the letter again and again. It didn't seem real. She knew in her heart that Kingsley was a reliable source and he would never tell a lie like this to anyone, but how could she believe it? 

She yearned to run to her parents, to ask them if he was right, but she knew she couldn't. After the war, after she told Kingsley what she did to her parents, she was advised not to seek them out. Obliviating muggles was always a tricky job, and while he applauded her for doing it with no trouble, a testament to her skill and magical range, he said it was almost impossible to reverse the spell without them losing their minds. He said he would have someone check up on them every so often to ensure their safety and monitor their behavior for any side effects of her spell. 

He also provided her with a flat not too far from Diagon Alley. The Weasley's, of course, offered to let her stay with them for as long as she needed, but she preferred to have her own space. She enjoyed spending time with her magical family but she thought everyone could use some time to heal from the wounds left behind from the war, so she accepted the Minister's offer.

The girl sunk to her bed with a sigh, her mind racing. She was a pure-blood, like Ron, like Neville. She felt lost. Her life was a lie. She had endured years of bullying just for her to be the opposite of what they called her. Mudblood. Her hand flew to the scar on her arm, the terrible reminder of the torture she had endured at the hand of Bellatrix Lestrange. The scar had no meaning anymore. She was hunted, abused, tortured for nothing. 

She slammed the letter on to the desk beside her bed, anger flaring up inside her. What was the point? Years of trauma just for everything to be one big lie.

Her parents were not biologically hers. Her biological family did not know who she was. Where did she belong? 

She had hoped that finishing her year at Hogwarts would be easy, that she would get a sense of normalcy after everything that happened last year. She thought that she would know exactly what she was going back to. 

Now she felt she knew even less than she did when she first arrived all those years ago. Who was she if she wasn't Hermione Granger, the muggle-born savior of the wizarding world?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Witches and wizards of all ages flooded Platform 9 3/4. Parents were waving to their smiling children as laughter and goodbyes filling her ears. Hermione looked on, jealousy pooling inside her, before boarding the train.

Hermione wordlessly ducked into an empty compartment when she realized that she had a problem. She would have to tell Ron and Harry. How can she tell them? Ron hated Slytherins with every fiber of his being. Harry wasn't their biggest fan either.

She was snapped out of her reverie by the arrival of the occupants of her thoughts. The Boy Who Lived and the Boy Who Loved. Ron scooped Hermione into his arms and planted kisses all over her face. She giggled as he set her down and pulled Harry into a hug.

She was glad that she had convinced them to finish out the year with her at Hogwarts. They had been pretty set on jumping into the Auror training program, but Hermione nagged them about the possibilities of switching careers and the improbability of them doing it without exceptional NEWTS.

Once the dust had settled Harry had moved in with the Weasleys. Hermione had only seen them a handful of times since the war as she was busy settling into her new flat and everyone at the Burrow was given their time and space to grieve. Throughout the summer, they mostly communicated through letters and gifts.

"How was the trip here, love?" Ron asked. They sat down, Hermione and Ron on one side, Harry on the other.

The girl shrugged. "It was fine, how about you two? Where's Ginny? How're your parents? How's George?"

Ron waved his hand dismissively. "Ginny is with Luna and Neville in another compartment." He avoided the rest of her questions.

Harry tugged on a strand of Hermione's hair. "What about you? Did anything interesting happen? You seemed kind of spacey when we walked in."

The witch gulped and took the letter from her pocket. There was no use hiding something so monumental from her closest friends."I got this from the Ministry a few days ago." The boys took the note and started reading. A moment later, Harry's brows shot into his hair while Ron's mouth hung open, a look of incredulity gracing both of their faces. "I haven't quite figured out how to handle this yet." Ron crumbled the letter into a ball and threw it to the floor. "Ronald!" She cried.

"No. Who are they to tell you who you are? You're Hermione Granger, a Gryffindor, my girlfriend! You aren't a part of a family that supports Voldemort, an evil family. They can't just tell you who to be."

Harry placed a hand on his arm. "But Ron, why would they lie? It's Kingsley, he wouldn't lie to Hermione." Hermione shot him a grateful smile.

The red-haired wizard shook his head. "You aren't going to be re-sorted. You're not going to change your name. You're not a pureblood. You're going to ignore this and keep living as you have. Do you understand?"

Hermione frowned. "You can't tell me what to do. Besides, what if this is what I want?" In truth, while the news shocked her to her core, it also kind of excited her. She wanted to explore this new part of her. She wanted to know as much as she could about herself and her family. Her whole life, she's felt like a puzzle piece that didn't quite fit. She was a witch with muggle parents who didn't understand her or her world, try as they might. The wizarding world thought she was a mud-blood, which did her no favors. Maybe this new truth would help her finally find a place to fit. The letter said her parents were followers of Voldemort, but that they turned on him. If they betrayed him, they couldn't be that bad, could they?

Ron scowled at her. "You can't possibly want to be switched over to Slytherin, Hermione."

The girl in question shook her head. "I never said I wanted to. I love it in Gryffindor, I have a family here, but now I know I also have a family somewhere else and I want to find out more. They were obliviated, Ron. They might want to meet me too. Don't you want that for me?" She met his eyes, her honey-brown orbs locking onto his cool blue ones.

His eyes narrowed. "I can't believe you. You're considering this, aren't you? You're willing to leave Gryffindor, leave me, all to find out more about your family of leeches? What makes you think they'll accept you, that they'll even tolerate your presence? Did you forget the role you played in the war? No Slytherin is going to want to be near you when you helped Harry Potter defeat their parents and their God. Have you also forgotten that every wizard who gets sorted into Slytherin becomes evil? Is that what you want, Hermione, to be evil?" He scoffed and stood up. "Have fun."

Hermione shook her head. "Ron that's not it, I-"

He cut her off sharply. "Save it." Without another word, he left their compartment. Hermione stared after him, not sure what to do.

Harry cleared his throat awkwardly and pat her shoulder. "He's just a little upset. It was kind of a shock, you know. He'll be ok."

She met her best friend's eye. "But will we?"

He bit the inside of his cheek. "Well, no matter what you decide to do, you'll always have me. I know Slytherin has a bad streak, but maybe you can help turn it around. Don't let Ron's insecurities hold you back from being yourself."

Hermione smiled tearfully and brought him into another hug. "What did I do to deserve you as a best friend?" Harry always seemed to know how to make her feel better. She was glad that she had him by her side. In truth, she always felt left out. Harry always used to side with Ron when things got sour between them, and it made her question if they actually considered her a friend or if they just thought she was useful. But after Ron left during the Hunt, she and Harry bonded in a way they were not able to before. She considered him a brother, and she knew he considered her a sister.

She pulled away and fixed his glasses. "How's Ginny?"

His eyes brightened at the sound of his girlfriend's name. "She's great! Headmistress McGonagall offered her the position of Head Girl this year. She's so excited."

Hermione smiled. Harry and Ginny started officially dating after the war. Harry had pulled her aside and told her that the time he spent wondering if she was alive and safe was the worst in his life and that he wanted to be by her side for as long as she would allow. They fell so deeply in love in the short months since then. It was nice to see Harry finally get the girl.

"So," he said. "Are you going to get re-sorted?"

She sniffed and nodded. "I think I am."

"Do you think you'll be sorted into Slytherin?"

She shrugged. "If I'm not, I might ask to be placed there. Slytherin has a larger library than we do, there might be a book filled with all the pureblood families in Slytherin history. All I know is I have to learn more. I have to know who I am, despite what Ron wants. I'm not going to let his wants eclipse my needs. Not anymore."

Her best friend smiled affectionately and squeezed her shoulder. "Do what's best for you. You'll always have me. Now do me a favor and get some rest. You look exhausted. I'll wake you when we arrive."

Hermione nodded and curled into her seat. Harry supported her, even when her boyfriend didn't. That thought alone was enough to send the girl into a dreamless sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry shook her awake when they arrived at the castle. "Hermione, we're here."

Hermione gently rose to her feet. Harry grabbed her hand to steady her. She met his eyes, worry rushing the sleep from her face. "Ron?"

Harry shook his head. "He got off with Ginny and Neville. He'll probably talk to you before the sorting ceremony. Have faith."

Hermione gave a small smile before changing into her Gryffindor robes with a wave of her wand. Harry extended his hand to her, which she gladly took. He led her off the train where their friends were waiting for them.

"Mione!" Ginny squealed. The red-haired beauty threw her arms around her friend. The two became closer than ever after the war. Whenever she visited the Weasley's, she and Ginny always had sleepovers and bonded. She was grateful to have such a passionate person in her life. It was nice to have a good girl friend after years of third-wheeling the boys.

"Oh, Ginny! I'm so happy to see you."

"Don't get used to it, Gin," Ron said darkly. Hermione looked at him with a frown. She didn't want him to tell her, she wanted to tell her on her own.

"Ron." She sent him a look. He shot her a glare and tapped his sister on the shoulder.

"She has a fancy new pureblood family and now she's going to switch to the leeches over in Slytherin." He kept eye contact with his girlfriend as he exposed her. Hermione met his eyes and was shocked to see something other than love in his.

Ginny gasped. "Hermione, is that true?"

Hermione shifted nervously and jumped into an explanation. "I got a letter from the Ministry saying I am a pureblood from the Greengrass family and that if I wanted to get re-sorted I could. I want to find out more about my family, so I'm going to do it. If I get placed into Slytherin, then I get that opportunity. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, I only just found out myself." She looked down at her feet.

"Oh, wow. Is that all?" Ginny asked.

Hermione looked up at her. Ron looked over at his sister with shock written all over his face. "You're not mad at her?"

Ginny shrugged. "Surprised, yes, but not mad. Hermione finding herself is much bigger than her Hogwarts house. She's still Hermione, even if she has a different lineage than we all thought. I don't see why her having a secret family is anything to be mad about. She can't control who she's related to. Are you seriously mad at her, Ron?" She crossed her arms and looked at him incredulously. Hermione smiled at her. Ginevra Weasley was not one to just stand down and let one of her closest friends get talked down to, even if it was by her brother.

His cheeks flushed as he raised his voice. "You're not? She's leaving us! She's joining the leeches. So what if it's in pursuit of her new family. They were Voldemort supporters and she wants to learn about them and possibly meet them. You're just going to let her?"

Ginny crossed her arms over her chest. "Hermione fought in the war, just like you and me. She's more than capable of protecting herself and whoever else she deems worthy. Grow up, why don't you." Hermione knew arguing with Ginny was a losing battle, especially when it came to the capability of women. Growing up with a slew of older brothers, she's always felt the need to prove herself to them, even when no one is challenging her directly.

Harry placed his hand on his best mate's shoulder. "Simmer down, Ron."

Ron shrugged out of Harry's grip. "No way! How can you lot be okay with this?" He shook his head at his friends and walked away.

Harry and Ginny turned to Hermione with a helpless look. "He'll get over it," Harry said.

Ginny nodded. "Yeah, he's always been a bit overdramatic. Let's get inside before McGonagall has our heads."

They headed to a carriage with Neville and Luna and took their places. The carriage ride was spent catching up with her friends while Hermione tried to keep Ron from invading her thoughts. Neville and Luna didn't get together like she thought they would after the war. They had a brief fling for a little while before they decided they were better off as friends.

Once everyone was inside and seated, Hermione at the Gryffindor table, the sorting had begun. All the scared first years reminded her of a young Hermione, so desperate to make the right impression and prove that she was worthy. Even though she didn't have many friends at the start of her Hogwarts career, she prided herself in being smart and mature for her age. She couldn't help but wonder what her school years would have been like if she was never taken from her real family. Would she still be friends with Harry, or would Ron have pitted him against her for possibly being in Slytherin?

McGonagall started the sorting with a confident-looking girl in the front. "Avery, Cordelia."

The girl strode up to the hat, a look of determination coloring her small face. Before she sat on the stool, she took her hair down from its tie. McGonagall placed the sorting hat on her head, yelling out the name of her new house a moment later. 

"Hufflepuff!"

Her tie changed from black to yellow and she skipped smugly over to her table, her house greeting her with cheers and high fives. 

The sorting progressed like that. Hermione watched almost fifty children get sorted into the different houses. She looked on quietly as the other houses booed the new Slytherins until McGonagall demanded silence. 

"And now, this next part of the sorting ceremony is unexpected and I would like for you all to be open-minded. A student has been granted permission to be re-sorted this year. Would Hermione Granger please step up to the sorting hat?"

A murmur passed through the crowd of students as Hermione stood up and slowly made her way over to the sorting hat. The last time it had been placed on her head, the hat had told her that she was well suited for every house in the school. At first, she wanted to be in Ravenclaw due to her advanced mind, but she had made a home in Gryffindor that she loved. Now there was a chance that she could be sorted into Slytherin, a house full of people that tormented her through the years for having dirty blood.

She sat down on the stool and felt the weight of the sorting hat on her head.

"Ah, Hermione Granger, but I suppose it's Greengrass now. Have you expected your house to change?" The hat asked.

'I don't know what I expect,' she replied truthfully. She knew she could ask to be placed in Slytherin, but she was curious about the new traits Kingsley mentioned in his letter and where they would leave her.

"You hope to be placed somewhere new. My first impression of you remains true. You are well suited for each house. You are brave, cunning, fair, and intelligent as can be. You still have that fascination with the Dark Arts that I had picked up years ago." The hat continued.

'Do you think I should be in Slytherin?' Hermione didn't want to beat around the bush anymore. The anticipation was almost too much for her to handle.

"I've always thought you should be in Slytherin, you would prosper there. The only reason you weren't placed there in the first place is due to your fearful thoughts about being 'the bad guy', as you had called it. As I said, you have all the traits to dominate in each house. In the end, it all depends on where you want to be. Where is it that you want to be, Hermione Greengrass?"

The witch in question raised her head and looked for her friends. Ginny was staring in awe, Harry was smiling while holding his girlfriend's hand. Ron wasn't looking at her at all. It sent a pang of anger directly into her already conflicted heart.

'Sort me.'

"Better be...Slytherin!" The sorting hat's voice rang out in the great hall. It would have been quiet had Ginny and Harry not started clapping, causing others to join in a confused and scattered applause. Hermione looked over at her friends again before walking over to the Slytherin table. Her friends were looking around with confused expressions. Neville turned to Ginny and was whispering his questions into her ear. Dean and Seamus looked to be trying to talk to Ron, who waved them off and glared in her direction. She sighed and walked to her new table. A girl with shoulder-length blonde hair cleared a spot next to her.

"Thank you," Hermione muttered.

The girl extended her hand. "It isn't often that we get someone new in our last year, unheard of actually. Whatever the reason, welcome to Slytherin! I'm Daphne Greengrass." She stuck her hand out to Hermione, who could only gape back.

Greengrass. A family member? Does she know? Finding her wits, she shook her hand. "I'm Hermione. Hermione Greengrass." The girl looked at her in confusion as Hermione pulled out Kingsley's letter. "I think we had better have a chat."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	2. ~2~

During dinner, Daphne tapped Hermione on the shoulder. "Let's go somewhere private to talk." Hermione nodded and the other girl escorted her from the Great Hall and to the second-floor girl's lavatory. It was still considered Moaning Myrtle's domain so not many people visited. 

Once inside Daphne closed the door and leaned against it while Hermione fumbled with the letter in her hands. "I know you're confused, I am too, and I'm sorry that this is so sudden."

Daphne looked at her then at the piece of parchment in her hands. "Can I see that?"

Hermione handed it to her and watched her face as she read. She memorized the letter front to back when she received it, so she knew from the widening of her blue eyes where she was in her reading. A moment later, she brought her eyes back to Hermione's.

"When did you get this?"

She swallowed before answering. "Three days ago."

"You trust Kingsley Shacklebolt?"

Hermione nodded her head. "He's an honest man. He would not lie about anything of this magnitude. I scanned it for any jinxes or hexes but the only spell on it was the charm reversal that was mentioned."

Daphne nodded slowly and reread the letter. Hermione couldn't decipher the look on her face. She looked up again and nodded again, more firmly this time. "Okay. I've heard a lot of rumors about you, but none of them ever mentioned that you were a liar. It might be stupid to blindly trust the Ministry again so soon, but I don't believe they would be anything but truthful in this situation." She stood up and handed the letter back. "You realize this means we're family now, right?"

Hermione allowed herself to give a small smile. "Apparently so."

Daphne flashed her a dazzling smile, instantly lighting up her face. "Well, the more the merrier!" 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After their talk, they returned to dinner, and from there Daphne and Hermione were ushered back to the Slytherin common room with their housemates. Hermione had made it in one piece, although she did feel people bumping past her unapologetically.

Daphne mentioned there being a party to welcome the new House members in the common room and encouraged her to go. The invitation filled her with a bit of hope. It was hard plunging into the unknown, and it was even harder to do it by yourself. Hermione hoped that with the help of Daphne Greengrass, she wouldn't have to.

As soon as she stepped into the common room, she was bombarded with questions.

"What are you doing here?"

"Why are you here?"

"Why did you switch houses?"

"What game are you trying to play here?"

"Who do you think you are?"

Daphne stepped in front of her and put up her hands. "Stop!" The questions ceased and Hermione briefly wondered what kind of power Daphne had that she was able to silence an entire room of teenagers.

The crowd parted, making room for Draco Malfoy to saunter up to the pair. He walked with a sort of casual elegance that Hermione wished she possessed. Seeing his face again filled her with anxiety and she felt her heart quicken its pace. "Daphne, what is she doing here?" To Hermione's surprise, his voice wasn't dripping with the hostility she was used to, just curiosity.

"She isn't who you all think she is." She stepped away and ushered for Hermione to explain.

She took a deep breath. "My name is Hermione Greengrass. I received a letter from the Ministry days ago confirming my identity. McGonagall said it would be okay for me to be re-sorted. I want to learn more about my lineage."

Malfoy paled and eyed her with warily, none of the malice she was used to gracing his features. She didn't know specifics about what happened to his family after the war, but she did know that his parents were questioned heavily and his father was sent to Azkaban. His mother had a lesser punishment due to both Harry and Hermione vouching for her and her son. Draco was mostly pardoned due to him being a child when his father started breeding him to worship Voldemort. She didn't think he would return for fear of being hated, but either his housemates didn't care about his misdeeds or she had judged them far harsher than she should have.

Daphne looked Malfoy in the eye. "We talked a bit during dinner. We both have questions that need answers, but right now she is one of us."

He frowned as he looked Hermione up and down. After a moment he shrugged and looked away. "Everyone should be getting ready for tonight's party."

At that, the crowd dispersed and Daphne grabbed Hermione's hand, tugging her towards a flight of stairs. "Now that you're here, you can room with me and my best friend. Pansy can be tough at times but she's a very good friend once you get to know her."

Hermione suddenly felt sick. "Pansy Parkinson?" Daphne nodded, which only made her feel worse. Pansy Parkinson was no stranger. She had spent years being heckled by her, being called names, having rumors spread. Hermione remembered her third year when Pansy sat behind her in Magic History and used to cut chunks of her hair off. Rooming with her was the last thing she wanted to do. She was suddenly missing sharing a room with Lavender Brown and her friends very much.

Daphne opened the door and ushered her inside. "Pans? You in here?"

"Under here!" A voice rang out. Both girls directed their attention to the body peeking out from under one of the beds. She pushed herself out and dusted off her robes. "Sorry I missed dinner, just wanted to get a head start on unpacking. Did I miss anything good?" She caught sight of Hermione and scowled. "What is she doing here?"

Daphne crossed her arms. "Be nice. Didn't you hear? Hermione is a Greengrass and she's in our house."

A look of shock crossed Pansy's features while Hermione directed her attention to the room. It was just like the girl's dorm back in Gryffindor, except the sheets were green and silver and the pillows were black. "She's a Greengrass?" She looked between Hermione and Daphne incredulously.

"Does our name render everyone speechless like this?" Hermione muttered. It was strange when everyone knew her family but her. Of course, she had heard of the Greengrass family, but she had spent her time over the years readying herself and her friends for war, not familiarizing herself with the occupants of her enemy house.

"Well, yes. The Greengrass's are famous. They're one of the Sacred Twenty Eight, which means that our family is full of only pure-bloods, not a single half-breed is anywhere in our history. We're practically magical royalty, by society standards. Not to mention we're rich beyond comparison. The only other families as rich as us are the Malfoys, the Blacks, and the Rosiers, although the Malfoy fortune may dwindle thanks to the gigantic smudge that is their current reputation." Daphne explained.

Pansy scoffed. "How can we be sure she's even a Greengrass? She looks nothing like you."

"The new Ministry doesn't lie, Pansy," Daphne said firmly. There was a tone to her voice that Hermione couldn't place, but it almost sounded like hope.

Pansy turned back towards her bed with a flick of her hair. "Whatever. We have to get ready for the party."

Daphne brightened. "Right! Now, Hermione, I assume you didn't bring a dress with you?"

Hermione shook her head. "I didn't think I would need one."

"Lucky for you, I have a spare. We look to be about the same size, I think. Here," She walked over to her chest and opened it, taking a knee-length green dress out. Hermione had to admit that it was very pretty. Now that she thought of it, she didn't think she owned anything green. Daphne threw the dress at her and took out her own. It was black and covered in glitter. "You can get changed in the room with us and then we can fix your hair at the vanity."

Hermione blushed a little as she changed. She had changed in front of girls before, yes, when she was in Gryffindor and it was in front of Lavender, Romilda, Parvati, and Eloise, girls she had known for years. Changing in front of a girl who had bullied her for years and a girl she had just met felt weird, to say the least. Nevertheless, she shimmied the dress on to find it was a perfect fit. It was black and green, with short sleeves and a silver belt in the middle. She almost cringed at how Slytherin it was.

Daphne whistled. "Wow, I don't think I've ever seen you in anything aside from your school robes." Hermione's cheeks were bright red as Pansy emerged from beside her bed. She was wearing a long-sleeved silver dress with a ruffle on the bottom. She paired it with cute silver heels and threw her hair into a long ponytail. "You look great, Pans!"

The brunette twirled and smiled at her friend before her eyes rested on her new roommate. "You need to fix your hair. And your makeup."

Hermione had never really had a makeover before, except for when she went to the Yule Ball. Eloise and Parvati had tried to get her to let them use her as a doll but she had always refused. She couldn't understand why she had always rejected them. It felt strangely nice. Pansy had muttered something about her hair being a crow's nest, but Hermione just ignored her. Daphne had applied some black eyeshadow to her lids and a soft pink shade to her lips. She felt pretty.

The girls made their way downstairs to see the party in full swing. The first years were dancing awkwardly by themselves while older kids dominated the middle of the room. Hermione saw Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini, and Theodore Nott on one of the couches by the fireplace. The girls made their way over.

Daphne sat herself down next to Blase. "Gentlemen, how are we doing tonight?"

Blaise put his arm around her shoulders and smiled. "We were just talking about Granger or Greengrass, I should say. It's a wonder that you're here after so many years of being in Gryffindor. Does that mean you two are sisters or something?"

Daphne shrugged. "We don't know yet."

Hermione anxiously sat down opposite them. "It was...unexpected, to say the least. I've been told one thing my whole life and that thing was proven to be a lie at the arrival of one little letter." Never in her life did she think she would ever be discussing her lineage with a bunch of Slytherins.

Malfoy looked at her with suspicion. "So you didn't know at all?" Hermione shook her head, not trusting her voice. "You don't look much like a Greengrass."

Pansy motioned for Theodore to scooch closer to Hermione so she could sit. "That's what I said."

Hermione shrugged, finding her voice. "The letter did say that a spell was placed on me, but that it will wear off with time." She looked at their confused faces before elaborating. "I was kidnapped and the person who did it charmed me so that I would look different than how I would have looked had I was left alone with my rightful family."

"So, what," Malfoy said. "One day you're just going to have blonde hair and blue eyes?" His tone was slightly accusatory but mostly curious. Hermione inwardly brushed the dust off the walls she put up after the war. 

She shrugged again. "I guess so." She didn't understand why Malfoy wasn't being a jerk. He had spent the last few years making sure her life was horrible and now here he was, engaging in conversation with her. She didn't know how to feel about it. Suddenly, it didn't matter that she had won a war, or survived being tortured by the same woman who snatched Neville's parents away from him. She was just someone near her childhood bully. It made her feel vulnerable.

Daphne suddenly stood up. "Enough of the small talk, it's a party!" She dragged Pansy and Hermione out of their seats and towards the middle of the room.

After pumping herself full of some of Daphne's highly illegal liquid courage, she let loose and let herself have fun. For the first time in days, her mind wasn't on the letter, or her family, or her grief. Maybe Slytherin wouldn't be as bad as she thought.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning was Saturday. It took Hermione a while to be comfortable enough to sleep last night, so she was a little disgruntled the following morning. While she was happy to be closer to Daphne, she wasn't sure where Pansy stood when it came to accepting her, or where she stood in terms of forgiving her for her years of bullying. It made her uneasy.

Hermione stood and stretched before heading to the showers. She could still feel the hairspray in her hair from the night before and couldn't wait to get it out.

After her shower, she walked back to her room. She ruffled through her bag quietly. Daphne and Pansy were still asleep and she didn't want to wake them. Her fingers brushed over a vial and she stilled. Puling the vial out, she looked at it and sighed. It was the perfume Ron had gifted her every year for Christmas. She liked to put some on sometimes and see if he would notice and he always did. 

Smiling at the memories, she spritzed some on and walked out to the common room. It was before nine in the morning and most of her housemates seemed to be asleep, save for the random first year that would wander out of their rooms.

Hermione used the quiet time to search for the Slytherin library. She had been itching to do so since she had received her letter. After some time looking around, she learned that the library was through one of the doors in the common room. Hogwarts had one big library, but each house had it's own smaller version filled with articles about the house's history and things that pertained to them.

It didn't take long to search for a book of family trees. It was the biggest book on the shelf, detailed with an intricate-looking tree that seemed to be carved onto the cover. She took it and sat down on a nearby green couch.

The Greengrass family tree was long. She trailed her fingers down to find Daphne's name. She stopped at the bottom of the page and saw unfamiliar names and faces. One was of a handsome man with blonde hair and brown eyes. Next to him was a woman with brown hair and eyes that looked to be a mix of blue and green. The man was smiling slightly, while the woman remained stoic looking. "Cyrus Greengrass and Laurel Lestrange..." Under their names were three spaces. 

One space had a recent picture of Daphne, smiling with glee. Beside her was a picture of Hermione with blonde hair and her bright hazel eyes, the only thing written under it being 'Hermione Lavinia Greengrass' and a date. Her birthday, the same date that was under Daphne's picture. 

Next to Hermione's was a picture of a girl with brown hair and serious-looking brown eyes. "Astoria Greengrass." She didn't look much younger than Hermione. The date under her picture said she was two years younger.

Hermione felt tears prick her eyes. That was her family, that much was obvious. Daphne was her sister, her twin sister by the looks of it. She had a younger sister named Astoria. Her mother and father were Cyrus and Laurel Greengrass.

She had always been an only child and, until she met the Weasley's, had never known the love of a sibling. She always wanted one but her parents, her Muggle parents always told her she was enough for them. Now that she knew the truth, all these new feelings were swirling inside her and begging for a release.

She didn't want to cry. She had lived through years of bullying, a war, being tortured, losing a loved one, losing the only family she had ever known. None of that could prepare her for this. Her feelings of hurt, anger, and betrayal were replaced with confusion and anxiety. She couldn't wait to talk to her blood relatives, but would they want to speak with her, get to know her, accept her? 

She was snapped from her thoughts by a hand on her shoulder. She turned her head to see Daphne, her sister, looking down at the page in fascination. "I've never seen you in the book before. I've never even noticed the third space."

Hermione shrugged and rubbed her eyes again. "Maybe it only showed up because the spell wore off."

Daphne nodded and sat next to her. "I don't understand. Why did this happen?" Daphne met her eyes, ocean blue meeting glassy hazel.

"I don't know." Her voice cracked. Daphne looked at her sadly before wrapping her arms tentatively around her sister.

"I'm so sorry, Hermione." She paused before she broke away and pulled her up. "Why don't we visit my parents? If the Ministry sent you the letter, they've probably sent them one as well. We can go and we can ask our questions."

Hermione thought it over. "Do you think McGonagall would let us?"

"I suppose there's only one way to find out."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The girls pushed through the double doors that lead to the Headmistress's office. It looked different from when Dumbledore was Headmaster. Most of the furniture was still there, but the walls were now a light grey color, pictures lined the walls, and the Gryffindor merchandise was placed wherever there was space.

McGonagall herself was seated at the desk, her glasses on the bridge of her nose. She looked up as we entered.

"Girls. What can I do for you?"

She motioned for us to sit in the chairs in front of her desk. They sat and Daphne clasped her hands together in her lap.

"Headmistress McGonagall," she started. "We were wondering if it would be possible to leave school for a few days so that we can talk to our parents."

McGonagall removed her glasses and looked at the girls before her. She saw the resemblance in their faces. They each had the Greengrass's nose, and Laurel's jawline. "I take it you've discovered who you're truly related to?" Hermione nodded. "Would Astoria be going as well?"

Daphne shrugged and looked at Hermione. "We haven't asked her yet. She doesn't know about Hermione. We were going to see her after we saw you."

Hermione took a shuddering breath. She couldn't recall seeing Astoria Greengrass in the halls at all, but she knew she was in Slytherin. Would she be turned off to the idea of a new sister? Would she scoff and close the door in their faces? 

The Headmistress glanced down at her planner. "The three of you can go to the Greengrass Manor this weekend. I will have a portkey made available. If that would be all you two can enjoy the rest of your day." The girls stood awkwardly and started walking to the door. "Hermione," McGonagall called. She turned at the sound of her name. "How are you settling in?"

Hermione looked at Daphne and smiled. "I'm doing okay."

McGonagall smiled. "I'm glad to hear it. While I have you here I would like to ask you to be the Head Girl of Slytherin. Would that be something you would be interested in?"

Hermione perked up. "O-Of course, Headmistress, but wouldn't it be fairer to ask someone who's been in Slytherin for more than five minutes?"

The older woman smiled. "Believe me, I've asked. Tracey Davis was my first choice, but she said nobody in Slytherin would be willing to, including her. Slytherin has to have a Head Girl this year and I think you would be excellent."

Daphne nudged her. "You are the brightest witch of our age, you should do it. We all agree with Tracey. We just want to keep our heads down this year. Unlike us, you're famous for all the right reasons, so you should take the job."

Hermione felt a pang of guilt. She knew Slytherin was the most hated of the houses at Hogwarts. She's known for years that the hatred of the other houses was the only reason they bit back the way they did. She suspected it would be a little harder after the war, but not bad enough to turn down a position such as Head Girl. Pushing her thoughts aside, she nodded at McGonagall. The Headmistress smiled and sent them on their way.

The girls walked to the Great Hall, the idea of breakfast finally entering their minds. When they got there, the Slytherin table was partly full. The girls easily spotted Pansy and Blaise at the end of the table and walked over, plates of eggs and sausages immediately appearing in front of them.

"Good morning, friends," Daphne said.

Blaise reached over to ruffle her hair before going back to his breakfast. Pansy turned towards the girls. "Where were you this morning?"

Daphne placed a hand on her new sister's shoulder. "Hermione found our family tree, we're twins!"

Blaise choked on his sausage and Pansy handed him a glass of water while she looked at the two girls with wide eyes. "Twins? As in twin sisters?"

Hermione nodded. "We spoke to McGonagall and she said it was okay for us to take a trip to the family manor over the weekend and get some answers." Her heart bubbled strangely when she said 'family manor'.

Pansy narrowed her eyes at Hermione. "How do we know this isn't just your way of weaseling yourself into the Greengrass family fortune?"

Daphne frowned. "Pansy, the family tree doesn't lie, and it's impossible for it to be fiddled with. I've seen it myself. Her face is pictured right next to mine with the same date. Now that we know the extent of our relation to one another, we need to see our parents as soon as possible."

Pansy huffed and went back to her food. Blaise, who seemed to finally recover from his choking fit, chimed in. "So, if you guys are twins, does that mean you're going to look like each other soon? Once the spell wears off, I mean."

"Not all twins are identical," Hermione said pointedly.

He shrugged and everyone went back to eating their food. A figure plopped down the bench beside Blaise. "What did I miss?"

Hermione looked up to see Draco Malfoy. It was her turn to choke. She still wasn't sure how to be around him. He made the last few years hell for her and her friends. Now they were in the same house and he was friends with her new sister. It would be easy to dig up her old hatred for him and make the year harder than it might otherwise be, but she didn't want things to be hard anymore.

"Are you okay, Hermione?" Daphne's hand came up to rub her back, her other hand holding out a pitcher of water.

Hermione nodded and tried to keep her gaze away from the blonde boy in front of her. She wasn't afraid of Draco Malfoy, she really wasn't. After the war, and after news of the Malfoy's had gotten out to the public, Hermione spent time trying to get rid of the hate she had for him, blaming his crimes on his upbringing and his controlling father. She didn't hate him anymore, she just felt indifferent. How do you talk to the person who used to make you feel lower than dirt?

A throat cleared. "Uh, Granger-"

"My name is Hermione," she said automatically. She decided that she didn't care what Draco thought of her; if he hated her or respected her. She had grown and changed a lot, but the one thing that didn't was her first name. Her name was Hermione and he was to either use it or not address her at all. She's earned that much. She gained many things over the years, one being a shiny new backbone.

He took a breath and kept going. "Can I talk to you after breakfast?"

The girl in question looked up at his pale face. Over the years he had always just been Malfoy, the spoiled boy with the bad attitude and superiority complex. He was still Malfoy, but he was also the abused boy with the mother on house arrest and the father in prison and the object of hate for most of the wizarding world.

She looked back down at her plate and nodded. "Sure."

Hermione didn't know what he could possibly want. She didn't know what he could possibly have to say to her. All she knew was that a knot had woven itself into her stomach and it made her uneasy.

She heard a sigh from across the table and turned to see Blaise with a dreamy look on his face. "Twins," he said dreamily.

Pansy kicked him under the table.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading! I don't know why it's taken me so long to post this on Ao3 but we're here! Hope everyone is doing okay :)


	3. ~3~

After breakfast, Daphne and her friends walked back to the common room together. Malfoy and Hermione stayed behind. For once, Hermione didn't know what to do, so she just sat stiffly in her seat and tried to look like she wasn't as anxious as she felt. Malfoy moved from his spot across from her and sat beside her. She shivered inwardly. The last time she was close to him was when his deranged aunt carved into her like a pumpkin. She absentmindedly rubbed the scar through her jumper.

She looked up when he cleared his throat. He looked uncomfortable and apologetic, something she hadn't seen on his face since that day.

"Listen," he said. "I want to apologize for my actions over the years. I was cruel and borderline evil and nothing can truly make up for it. I apologized to Potter over the summer after my father..." His breath hitched in his throat as he waved his hand dismissively. "Well, I'm sure you've heard. It was difficult, and I didn't know if I would ever get the chance to apologize to you. I don't know how to make it up to you, and I don't expect you to forgive me. I just wanted to make it clear to you how sorry I am. I know the timing probably seems suspicious, now that the truth of your lineage is out to the public, but I assure you that your blood has nothing to do with me sitting here today." 

Hermione met his eyes. For years, she had thought that his eyes were blue, but up close she could see that they were a stormy grey color. His hair wasn't as pale a blonde as she was used to seeing either. It was always platinum, or at least she thought it was. She could see now that it was light blonde, but not the white color she had always seen it to be. He had a hard jaw and his nose was somewhat pointy. 

The thing she found odd about his face, though, wasn't the differences between what she once thought and what she now knew. Malfoy was the same age as her, both 18, and the major difference she noticed was that his face was smooth, almost like it was sculpted. She wasn't saying he looked perfect, or that he looked like a god. He had no lines, no crow's feet in the corner of his eyes, no laugh lines near his nose and mouth.

Nothing.

Had he ever smiled? A real smile and not the malicious smirks she was used to him giving. A pang of sadness shot through her heart before she covered it with a small cough.

"What made you want to apologize after all this time?" She asked instead.

He shifted in his seat. "You might think it sounds like an excuse, but I didn't dare to broach the subject with my father around." He looked up at her questioning look and continued. "My father served as a filter for my whole life. I'm not sure if you've heard of the Malfoy family motto, but it is 'Purity will always conquer.' My father made it his mission to make me exactly like him; prejudiced, ruthless, obedient. His hard work paid off and eventually I was just a smaller Lucius Malfoy. Only through my mother was I able to view things from a different perspective. While my father valued the quality of one's blood, she valued the quality of their character. When he was sent away, I was finally able to fully embrace the things I had previously hidden or pushed away. It's thanks to her that I was able to come back and finish my education, but it's also thanks to you."

The last part surprised her. "Me?" She asked. 

Malfoy nodded. "I know you and Potter spoke up for my mother and me during our family's trial. Potter vouched for me in his own way, stating I was too cowardly to ever take someone's life and would probably never do it. You said you thought everyone had good in them and everyone deserved a second chance. The Wizengamot took Potter's word positively, but with yours added onto it... they said that if the Brightest Witch of Her Age thinks I deserve another chance then she must be right."

Hermione couldn't help the blush that spread across her cheeks. "Everything I said was true. If the Grinch could get a second chance then so can you."

His pale eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. "The Grinch? Who's that?"

She rolled her eyes. She should have known better than to assume he knew who she was talking about. "A muggle cartoon character."

"Of course, I should have known." His lips lifted in what was almost a smile before resuming his previous expression. 

Hermione didn't think she had ever heard him speak so much, or show so much emotion. Of course, she had dealt with him and his friends talking for years, but she couldn't remember listening to him saying anything worthwhile.

His expression looked guilty and his cheeks were reddening with every word he uttered out. He probably never opened up to anyone, so doing it now must be uncomfortable. Frankly, she thought he could use some discomfort as revenge for his past discretions, but she had to remind herself of the new leaf she had turned.

"Thank you," she said. Her eyes flicked to his hands, pale with long pianist's fingers, and back up to his face. She gulped before continuing. "Honestly, thank you. I wasn't sure how to be in Slytherin after all the bullying. Your upbringing isn't an excuse, but I understand why you were the way you were." He shook his head, but she kept going. "I'm sorry about your parents, and I'm sorry for punching you in the nose a few years ago." 

It wasn't a total lie, a part of her did feel sorry for lashing out at him instead of rising above, especially now that she knew he was just lashing out to try and get out of under the weight of his father's impossibly large thumb. The other part of her, however, still cheered when she thought about the satisfying crunch of his nose under her fist.

Both sets of lips found themselves twitching upwards and soon Hermione was laughing at the memory. Malfoy was staring at her, but at that moment she couldn't find it in herself to care.

They were interrupted by a hand hitting the table in between them, replacing her laughter with a startled gasp. "You're friends with Malfoy now?"

Hermione snapped her head up to see Ron staring at them. He was looking at Hermione with anger and looking at Malfoy with hate. She frowned at her boyfriend. "Ron, we were just talking."

He crossed his arms and scoffed. "You were laughing and smiling. With Malfoy! Have you gone daft?"

Hermione stood up so she was somewhat level with the angry ginger. "What are you going on about? He was apologizing to me. What did you think was going on?" She moved to put her hand on his arm, but he snatched it away. "Ron!"

"I turn my back for one minute and the snakes descend. You being in Slytherin is a mistake. We're going to McGonagall and you're coming back to Gryffindor where you belong." He grabbed her arm and started marching towards the doors. She pulled out of his grasp and sat back down in her seat, her arms folded across her chest.

"I'm not going anywhere. I have a family here! I'm staying and I'm going to learn more about them whether you like it or not. This is the last time we are having this conversation." She felt eyes on them and she knew they were making a scene. There weren't many people left in the Hall, but there was enough so that news of her and Ron's fight would be spread like wildfire. Nothing like fighting war heroes to get people talking. 

"It's them or me," he said suddenly.

She looked at him incredulously. "What?"

He fixed his blue gaze on her. "Choose. Them or me. Voldemort worshippers or your boyfriend."

She scoffed, disbelief plain on her face. "Are you seriously making me choose between you and my family?"

"That's the thing, Hermione," he walked closer to her and grabbed her hands in his. "I am your family, Gryffindor is your family. Me, Harry, Ginny, my parents, we are your family. You're throwing us all away all because you have this fantasy of meeting a family of snakes and hoping that they want you. If they wanted you, they would have remembered you. They didn't want you, they still don't. Stop wasting your time. Come back to your real family, please." His eyes were bright and pleading.

Hermione stared down at their joined hands. She loved Ron's hands. She held them whenever she could. They were soft and strong and gentle when they touched her. She gazed at them now, holding hers with a little too much pressure, not enough to hurt but enough for her to notice the change, and slowly removed her hands from his.

"I don't have to choose, don't you understand? Harry, Ginny, and I will always be family. We have all been through too much to be considered anything else." Her voice came out soft and steady, despite the anxiety she was feeling. "I know that this is a very confusing time for me, and a lot of things are up in the air at the moment, but right now I am sure of a few of those things. I am sure that I have a family no matter what, I am sure that I do not want to leave Slytherin, and I am sure that the next time you try to give me an ultimatum or tell me what to do with my life, we will be done." His eyes widened at her words, but she kept going. "A relationship is not built on mean words and ultimatums and I refuse to be part of one that is. I want to keep you in my life, Ronald because we are family, but the next time you try to make me choose between what you want and what I need, I will disappoint you." She stood up and met his eyes, her own holding back unshed tears. She couldn't read his face and she was grateful. "I'm going to continue my conversation with Draco Malfoy, and then I am going to go to my room and get to know my sister."

She turned and walked back towards an awkward-looking Malfoy. She smoothed down her skirt and sat down, quickly rubbing her eyes as she did. "I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to make such a scene."

He crossed his arms the same way he has for years, with an air of sass and confidence she could never possess. "One thing I've learned about Gryffindors is that they always make a scene, no matter what the situation. In my unprofessionally professional opinion, the Weasel is a git, but it's obvious that opinion isn't shared."

Hermione scoffed and chuckled lightly. She never thought she would ever be sitting here and having this conversation, with Malfoy of all people.

"Yes, well...anyways. Thank you for the apology, I never thought I would get one, or that it would make me feel better." She stuck her hand out. "I hope this symbolizes a new beginning for us. I know we probably won't be friends, but we are both Slytherin now so that at least makes us equals."

Malfoy took her hand in his and shook slowly. "I suppose it does." His eyes met hers and she smiled. His hand returned to his side and he stood. "See you around, Hermione."

He walked out of the room, leaving the girl to replay the moment over in her head. In all the years she had known Draco Malfoy, she had never heard him say her name. The realization sent a blush to her cheeks and she scoffed and left the table.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ginny found her in the library later that day. She bounded over to Hermione's usual table and sat down. "I got your fire message, is everything alright?"

Hermione lifted her head from the stack of books she collected on pure-blood traditions and social structures. She looked at her best friend with grateful eyes. "Thanks for coming." She closed the book she was reading and set it aside. "I found my family, well, part of them."

Ginny beamed at her. "Hermione that's great! Is it the Greengrass sisters here? Are they your immediate family or some distant cousins?" 

Hermione was surprised Ginny knew who the Greengrass's were. "How do you know them?"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "You can't blame yourself for not knowing them, I suppose. You did spend most of your time here breaking rules and facing certain death." Hermione opened her mouth to protest but crossed her arms over her chest instead. She didn't break that many rules. "Both sisters are pretty popular. Daphne is the prettiest girl in your year, second only to Romilda Vane, Hannah Abbott, and the Patil sisters. Astoria is famous for her Quidditch prowess. I've had the pleasure of playing against her over the summer at a Quidditch seminar in Paris."

"Well, luckily for you, Daphne is my twin sister and Astoria is my younger sister. Maybe after I meet her formally you two can get together and talk about Quidditch or quality broom handles." One would think that after all the games she's been to that she would have a liking for the sport, but she found it rather boring and often pulled out a book or notes in the middle of the match. 

Ginny smiled at her. "I'm happy for you, Mione. I know things have been hard since the war ended. I'm glad that you have this now."

The bookworm smiled and pointed to her books. "Is there anything you can tell me about my new family that I might not like?"

"What's not to like?"

Both girls whirled around to see Daphne Greengrass skipping up to them. She sat next to Hermione and smiled at her. Hermione motioned between her sister and her friend.

"Daphne, this is my friend Ginny Weasley. Ginny, my sister Daphne Greengrass." Ginny reached across the table to shake her hand. "I was asking Ginny if she knew anything about our family. I figured since she's a pureblood she might know something."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Me being a pureblood has nothing to do with what I know about that society. Before the war, we weren't regarded as much because we were blood traitors and poor. Now that my whole family is full of heroes, we have more opportunities to do new things and people are associating our name with more than just blood, but we were always set apart from other pureblood families. I'm afraid I have just as much knowledge that you do. You probably have more actually, little swot you are." Ginny smiled fondly at her friend.

"You could always just ask an actual Greengrass," Daphne said.

Hermione shrugged apologetically. "I just didn't want a biased answer. Sorry, Daph."

The beautiful blonde beamed at her. "You used my nickname!" She threw her arms around her twin and Ginny looked on happily.

"I am happy for you, Hermione. You deserve all the happiness in the world after what you've been through." Her eyes flicked over to the grandfather clock against the wall and started gathering her belongings. "I wish I could stay, but I've got Quidditch tryouts. I'm Captain this year and I'll be damned if I let Jack Sloper allow just any old bloke onto my team." She turned to Daphne and smiled. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Daphne. Please let Astoria know I am looking forward to our first game." With a smile and a wave, Ginny left for the Quidditch pitch.

Daphne poked her twin in the side. "Would you like to know who our parents are?"

Hermione nodded eagerly, surprised by her enthusiasm. Before it was just a curious yearning, but now that Daphne was here and willing to give her the information, she wanted it desperately.

"Our mother is Laurel Greengrass, but she was born a Lestrange." Hermione shuddered inwardly at the name Lestrange. She had read about her mother in the book of family trees, of course, but she glossed over it because she was so happy to have found out the truth. If Daphne noticed her shudder she didn't let on. "She and our father, Cyrus, had been placed in an arranged marriage when they were young and they met for the first time here at Hogwarts. They eventually fell in love in the sixth year and have been together since. After graduation, Mother launched her fashion line and eventually became one of the best fashion designers in wizarding Britain. At the same time, Father took over the family business at Greengrass Industries. He manufactures new and innovative potions that get sold worldwide. They're very nice, you couldn't ask for better parents."

Daphne must have had a good relationship with her parents, she thought. She had this happy look on her face as she described their lives. Hermione couldn't help but think of her own parents, the Grangers. Had they ever planned to tell her she was adopted? Would they have kept it a secret their entire lives? How could she not have realized it sooner? She certainly didn't look like them, even with the glamour. 

Swallowing a lump in her throat, Hermione asked the question she had been dancing around. "When the Minister sent me that letter, he said something about our family following Voldemort in the early stages of the war. Was he right?"

Daphne began to shift in her seat, looking rather uncomfortable. "Honestly, I'm not entirely sure. Mum and Dad don't talk about it and I don't pry. You would have to ask them."

Hermione mulled it over and shrugged. Her sister was right. If she wanted answers, she would have to ask them directly. She knew this, of course, but the thought of meeting her biological parents for the first time filled her with a new kind of anxiety. There were so many things that could go wrong.

After the war, Hermione tried her hardest to piece herself back together using tape and glue. Now that she was at school again, a relatively normal part of her life that was stolen from her the year prior, she felt like she was back to being the Hermione she used to be. Aside from the fact that her world had shifted on its axis, she had found a way to move on. 

The impossibility of the Grangers never remembering her had crushed her. If she were to meet her real parents and they rejected her, she didn't know what she'd do. All she knew was she couldn't take another heartbreak.

Daphne poked her again. "I get the feeling that Ginny knows more about Astoria than you do."

Hermione nodded. "Ginny is a huge Quidditch fan. When she was promoted to Captain of the Gryffindor team she was ecstatic. When she realized that Astoria was in the same position for Slytherin it only made her happier. She sees her as a real challenge. It inspires her to be better." The number of times Hermione had listened to her friend boast about being so good she felt bad for demolishing her team's opponents had always been high. Ever since Astoria Greengrass got placed on the roster as Captain, she had only been talking about how best to match and outdo the girl.

Daphne scoffed. "How is it that your friend seems to know more about your sister than you do?"

"I've been too busy hunting Horcruxes and trying to get my friends to pass their classes to care about some silly game or who plays it."

Daphne smirked at her twin. "Well, we're about to change that."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you everyone for reading! I'm currently still editing but I like the way things are progressing so far. The next chapter is where we get to meet the rest of the Greengrass family. Are you ready?

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! This story can also be found on Wattpad under the same name.


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